Bill Holden, a well-known surfboard shaper who helped mold the sport into what it is today, died recently from a heart attack.<br><br>I had the pleasure of meeting Holden a few months back at this year’s Surfboard Builders Hall of Fame. His smile was ear-to-ear as he talked about his early days shaping board for Holden Surfboards back in 1955, when his creations would go for $50 a piece. These days, some of the classic boards can go for thousands of dollars.<br>Holden, creator of Holden Surfboards on Beach Boulevard in Huntington Beach, was a good friend of famous surfboard shaper Dale Velzy, among other surfing icons.<br>Surfboard shaper Bob “the Greek” Bolen bought his first custom board from Holden, later buying his first foam blank from him.